Chapter 197 - Gathering Of Strength Part Four

Fell nodded toward his brother, and couldn't help but let a sigh escape from his lips. He had always been a loner, and now the number of people looking up to him was more significant than the people he had met through his entire life. "You know that you might still have a chance to leave if you rush out now.", Fell said with a serious expression on his face.

"Do not insult me!", retorted Wind with anger flashing on his face. "This is also my hometown. If I can't at least try protecting it, then there is no meaning to my life as a cultivator."

Fell's eyes glowed with a mysterious light. He knew very well what the young official meant as he was also in the same state. Soul cultivators were entitled to act as they wanted, or else the manifestation of their persona would never take place.

"And like they say. It is in time of danger that heroes are born.", he added while gazing at the sky.

"Hey brother, the sky of the city is beautiful, right?", he asked without taking his sight from the luminous canvas of firmament.

"Hmm.", nodded Fell while also gazing at the incandescent city. "Let us do our best in protecting this place.", he added.

They stood there for an undetermined period of time. Minutes passed where both youths gazed at the stars, in complete silence.

Fell was the first one to break the mood. His head stopped looking at the sky, and his legs began moving in the streets of the city. His brother, Wind, gazed strangely at his brother but still followed in his footsteps. They toured through the streets of the central districts.

During their journey, they moved through several streets they were used to go through. But they also toured the ones they never soiled with their steps, and Fell couldn't help but capture the image of the serene city. It was currently empty, as it was nearly the middle of the night. The only individuals that were outside were either the ones preparing their departure; or the ones rushing to consolidate the defense of their hometown.

One might expect riots in a situation like this. But there were no such things in the streets of New Casablanca, and the masses of citizens were either gathering resources to flee or the opposite. Preparing to fight to their last breath.

Fell couldn't help but feel a strange sensation go through his body. And a kind of fear took over his soul, visions of carnage filled his thought when he looked at the quiet streets. After what felt like dozens of minutes of slow-paced walk, Fell took a decision and began walking to his home.

If he wanted to be ready, he knew very well that he needed one last cultivation sessions. One where he would ignite his battle intent, and sharpen his intent to protect this city. He knew that the position of leadership wasn't one that suited him well, and his mixed emotions were a clear sign of that.

"Wind.", said Fell in a calm voice. "I'm going in closed door cultivation, this is my last seclusion in this city, but I still need you to take care of a few things for me."

"Go to the battle center, and relay this message for me.", he added before telling Wind a long line of explanation that he needed to relay to the chairman.

Wind's eyes opened widely, and he couldn't help but immediately object. But a cold glare from his brother washed his fiery temper in an instant. Then, a beaming smile appeared on Fell's youthful face, and he added.

"This is just a last precaution, and my final gift to you.", he then turned around without waiting for his brother to respond. "Don't throw your life, brother."

Fell enter through the automatic door of the building where his apartment was. His face was grim, and an intense turmoil had taken grasp in his heart due to the courses of event. The many bitter pills he had to swallow this night had left him in a terrible mental state, yet even if he felt tired and wanted to lay down in his bed.

The moment he entered his apartment, he went straight up inside of his room and sat cross legged on his bed. His eyes closed, and with it, his heart and senses were imprisoned in his body. His back was straight, with shoulder relaxed and slightly opened lips. He began regulating his breathing with the Anzar breathing technique.

Air would enter through his lips, move down his throat before filling his lungs. This simple action innate to any living being could take a minute for Fell to execute. His organism slowed down, and before long, he was in a deep meditative state due to his respiration technique.

His minute, yet powerful breaths, had slowed down to an incredibly low rate. With each lengthy breath, his energy, mind, and blood would be further refined. Not only that, even his heart was being cleansed from the negative thoughts.

He kept executing his breathing technique for a little more than two hours. He stopped counting the number of cycles he had achieved when he broke through the hundreds' mark, and the effect of this cultivation happened to be very beneficial for his mental state. The intense emotional turmoil he was feeling had calmed down, and he opened his eyes.

A sharp glint escaped from his pupil, and striking cold calmness suffused from his entire being. He had come up in term with everything that was going to happen; acceptance for the fact that New Casablanca's destruction, acceptance for the fact that many lives would be extinguished, acceptance for the fact that he would undoubtedly be powerless in front of those events.

It was only through coming in check with reality that his chances of success could rise. Lying to oneself was a dangerous act that wouldn't benefit anyone in the city.